President Joe Biden speaks about Hurricane Ian during a visit to FEMA headquarters, Sept. 29, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. on Friday sanctioned more than 1,000 people and firms connected to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including its Central Bank governor and families of National Security Council members, after President Vladimir Putin signed treaties absorbing occupied regions of Ukraine into Russia, in defiance of international law. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Millions of Medicaid recipients could find relief in the form of food shopping funds as the Biden administration begins approving state requests to use the coverage for groceries.
It's part of a larger movement that identifies "food as medicine" as priority in a person's healthcare plan.
A study by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities found a correlation between food insecurity and poor health. People that lacked access to nutritious food options showed increased risk for chronic problems like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and mental health disorders.
The move is being met with opposition from those who say including food in Medicaid coverage is an unnecessary expansion.
"This is really the first I've seen the federal government push food and air conditioners and other things as allowable. We already have the SNAP program," Gary D. Alexander, head of the Medicaid and Health Safety Net Initiative for Paragon health Institute, told The Wall Street Journal.
Last year, pilot programs in Arkansas, Massachusetts and Oregon were tested that allowed the states to spend millions in federal and state funds on health needs and included variations of healthy-meal preparation and nutrition counseling.
"We're able to cover cooking classes and nutrition classes," James Schroder, interim director of the Oregon Health Authority said. "We can do up to six months of what we call 'food and veggie RX.' And up to six months of medically tailored meals."
People ages 19 through 24 who were at high risk for long-term poverty were able to receive coverage for nutritional services in Arkansas, while Massachusetts provided home-delivered meals for up to six months as well as "food prescriptions."
Authorities on Thursday were trying to determine who sent letters filled with fentanyl or other substances to local election offices, an attack that appears to have targeted multiple states in the latest instance of threats faced by election workers around the country.
The White House said Israel has agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its assault on Hamas in northern Gaza starting on Thursday, as the Biden administration said it has secured a second pathway for civilians to flee fighting.
Columnist and political analyst Jonathan Harris joined Cheddar News to break down what stood out from Wednesday's third Republican presidential primary debate.
Mississippi's largest county ran out of ballots during Wednesday's governor's election as some voters say they had to wait for up to an hour for new ballots to be printed before they could cast their votes.
Republican presidential candidates used the third debate of the GOP primary campaign to show their support for Israel and display at least some willingness to criticize Donald Trump.
The National Zoo's three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji. on Wednesday began their long trip to China, leaving behind an empty panda exhibit with no certainty that pandas ever would again take up residence there.
Palestinians living in the heart of Gaza’s largest city said Wednesday they could see and hear Israeli ground forces closing in from multiple directions, accelerating the exodus of thousands of civilians as food and water become scarce and urban fighting between Israel and Hamas heats up.
